Real World Lessons… Patience….

Real World Lessons… Patience….

Many of us are focused on quick results. We have become familiar with instant answers thanks to access to information or services on social media and the internet. One of the most difficult things I struggle with as a hunter and land manager is patience. When I want something, it is hard for me to wait. When something is not going to plan, I want to fix it and fix it now.

This year, mother nature did not cooperate with many food plotters across the country. The Midwest was hit with weeks upon weeks of dry weather. This simply burnt up many land managers attempt at food plots. I was lucky here in Kentucky. I got my soybeans in around some rains the first of June and they did great. Other friends of mine were not so lucky. They sat and watched their plants shrivel up and die with no moisture.

As the fall approached, many people had to start over with fall plots. We saw many customers adjust their management plans by focusing on fall food plots. In my case, a last-minute opportunity to join a new lease required a quick game plan and food plots to be put in. My fellow lease members teamed up to clear and spray an open field secluded in the middle of our lease around mid August. Our plan was to prepare the ground and plant Real World’s Deadly Dozen when rain was in the forecast. At that time, many of you were doing the same thing. We were all sitting there with fields ready to plant, hoping we could see rain in the forecast.

The big question was, would mother nature make things difficult on us the way she did in the spring? With rain in the forecast on August 29th and 30th, I loaded up the 27th and headed to the lease. After spreading fertilizer, the 3 acres were planted. Driving home, I thought our conditions were perfect with rain coming in 2 days later. I was excited to be able to hunt this new food plot with 12 varieties of plants in the Deadly Dozen mix which would attract deer through the entire season.

As remnants of Hurricane Harvey came up through Indiana and Kentucky, only a small shower hit the farm on the 29th and no more rain came for 2 more weeks. On September 8th, a lease member went and checked the food plot and there was no germination. Much of the seed was just laying on the ground. As I looked at pictures, I began to panic. What did I do wrong? Did we not get enough rain and my fall plots are now dead? As the “food plot guy” in the lease, my worry was I had let everyone down. Panic set in trying to figure out what I should do. Should I top seed oats? Should I till it up and start over? Do I have enough time to replant? Everyone is counting on me and I let them down.

What do I do when I panic about my food plots? I call Kevin Boyer. Quickly Kevin calmed me down and said, “Be Patient!” He listened to me list out all the things that could go wrong and how I wanted to fix them right then. Do you know what his response was? “Be Patient,” he said. He is a lot calmer than me. “But Kevin,” I said, “If I wait 2 more weeks and then have to plant, we will not have anything in the ground for opening weekend.” He paused a second and I was expecting this expert advise to outline a 3 step action plan. He said, “Be Patient!” The bottom line is we had not had enough rain to germinate anything. There was no heavy dew or fogs, it was hot and dry. The seed was laying there. BUT I WANTED TO FIX IT THEN! I felt a little bit added pressure because I did not want to let my fellow lease members down. We needed this food plot as part of our management plan on this property.

Kevin was right… In the last two weeks, we have had rain, heavy dew, and foggy mornings. Guess what, the plot looks great.

Mother nature is king when it comes to food plots. Increase your chances by planting around rain but patience is what pays off in the end.

You see, we are real hunters and land managers just like you. Everything is not mapped out and given to us. We hope and pray that everything comes together the way we want but sometimes get just as impatient as everyone else when things do not quite work out the way we want.

When I was younger I always wondered why my mother prayed for patience as much as she did. Obviously, it is somewhat lacking in my family.

Our food plot looks as green as a golf course and their are deer tracks everywhere. I am patiently waiting on the season to start… NOT!